Serious Simulations’ Market Entry

Orlando-based Serious Simulations' presence at 2014 I/ITSEC was another step on the company’s roadmap to enter the S&T marketplace.

Christopher Chambers, the company’s CEO, told MS&T the company specializes in human motion tracking and the need for natural motion to be an interface with a simulation. “We enable trainees to use natural motion as the primary interface to the training simulator, limiting artificial interfaces such as keyboards, mice and other devices to the bare minimum necessary for an instructor to operate the simulator. So, as a trainee, if I want to reach for a grenade, I reach for a grenade. If I need to reach for a weapon, I reach for a weapon,” he explained and added, “Natural motion based training is applicable to several professional training needs and allows us to expand our simulator offerings into firefighting, infectious disease safety and control, and other sectors.”

As a retired US Army infantry officer with over a decade of simulation and training industry experience, Chambers noted that he did not “see any other infantry training simulators that provide the realism necessary to correctly train soldiers in squad level missions.” He continued, “I understand the importance of realism in training, the real importance of immersion and creating a suspension of disbelief, so you really feel you are in an environment – not just playing a game or operating an unrealistic training device. There really isn’t much out there that does that.”

One of Serious Simulations’ technology thrusts has been the creation of a peripheral vision immersive device, providing trainees with a field of view so wide that it involves peripheral vision as well as straight-ahead vision. “We also differentiate ourselves by using remote optical tracking that only requires some lightweight optical reflectors on the trainee's clothing, allowing training in full combat or work gear. Trainees don't even notice those featherweight attachments with tiny reflectors,” Chambers added. A third differentiator for the new company’s strategy is to wrap sensors around trainees' weapons unobtrusively. Chambers explained, “Our weapon sensor technology gives trainees the choice of using a simulated weapon, a real weapon firing blanks, or a real weapon that has a third-party pneumatic recoil kit. We provide flexibility that doesn’t exist elsewhere.”

Although only six months old, Serious Simulations is finalizing a partnership with the Institute of Simulation and Training - University of Central Florida for development of a multi-echelon firefighter training suite. The company teams with Laser Shot for the simulated weapons it uses as part of its product line and is also a subcontractor to Indra on Sea Port-e, a US DoD contract. - Marty Kauchak